New owners with extensive experience in the hospitality industry have bought the Bull Inn, which is in the middle of the wealthy Cotswold village of Charlbury.

The village is one of the few in the area with a railway station on the main line from Paddington.

The Grade II-listed property – which retains a host of period details such as beams, stone floors and walls, and big fireplaces – is mentioned in the Michelin red guide.

It offers four en-suite bedrooms to sleep eight guests, a low-ceilinged bar with a separate dining area to seat 40 guests, a lounge, and a 40-seat restaurant with French windows opening onto the terrace.

There are two bedrooms on the second floor for staff, along with a large sitting g room, kitchen and shower room/WC. A two-bedroom cottage with a private patio garden is available for the owners.

New owner Alix Blumsom, who trained at Forte and has worked in a number of bars and restaurants, has a hotel and catering management degree while her business partner Stuart Matthews was running a pub operation in Sussex.

In the year to 30 September 2006, the inn made a trading profit of £84,348 on a £296,416 turnover net of VAT.

The Cirencester office of Colliers Robert Barry sold the freehold off a guide price of in excess of £1m.

By Angela Frewin